Driving device for ranging-type coal planers

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to a device for driving ranging-type coal planer as well as to an idler in the return device for said coal planer. When a coal planer is used in a conveyor system on the coal face, advance and retreat of said coal planer cause the coal planer chain which interlocks with the driving wheel to slacken. The invention also relates to a driving device for ranging-type coal planers wherein tension is applied to said driving wheel in a fixed direction to prevent the coal planer chain from slackening, and where, the wheel on the coal planer&#39;&#39;s return side supporting said coal planer chain is freely coupled onto the axis of the face conveyor wheel so as not to be affected by the rotation of said axis.

United States Patent [191 Nakajima May 7,1974

[ DRIVING DEVICE FOR RANGING-TYPE COAL PLANERS [75] Inventor: ShigeoNakajima, Kushiro, Japan [73] Assignee: Talheiyo Coal Mining Co., Ltd.,Tokyo, Japan [22] Filed: Feb. 12, 1973 [211 App]. No.: 331,481

[52] US. Cl. 299/34, 198/203 [51] Int. Cl. E2lc 29/16 [58] Field ofSearch 299/34, 43, 44, 45, 32;

74/242.l5 R, l R; 198/203 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS2,656,565 10/1953 Apel et a1. 74/2421 R X FOREIGN PATENTS ORAPPLICATIONS 1,243,607 7/1967 Germany 299/34 1,284,383 12/1968 Germany299/34 Primary Examiner-Ernest R. Purser Attorney, Agent, or Firm-GeorgeB. Oujevolk [57] ABSTRACT This invention relates to a device for drivingrangingtype coal planer as well as to an idler in the return device forsaid coal planer.

When a coal planer is used in a conveyor system on the coal face,advance and retreat of said coal planer cause the coal planer chainwhich interlocks with the driving wheel to slacken.

The invention also relates to a driving device for ranging-type coalplaners wherein tension is applied to said driving wheel in a fixeddirection to prevent the coal planer chain from slackening, and where,the wheel on the coal planers return side supporting said coal planerchain is freely coupled onto the axis of the face conveyor wheel so asnot to be affected by the rotation of said axis.

2 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEBIAY 1 I914 31309.43 1

sum 2 0f 2 DRIVING DEVICE FOR RANGING-TYPE COAL PLANERS BACKGROUND OFTHE INVENTION The axis of a driving wheel is usually mounted in astationary manner on coal mining machines so that the driving wheelmounted on said axis of the driving wheel will interlock with the coalplaner chain, thereby permitting the coal planer to reciprocate.

The advance and retreat of the coal planer, however, cause slackening ofthe coal planer chain due to elongation, inducing breakdown, etc. of thecoal planer chain, resulting in deteriorating efficiency of coal mining.

To raise the coal mining efficiency, the current practice is to bringthe coal planer to a stop and apply tension to the slack coal planerchain by hand. For this reason, there has been a considerable loss inworking time.

The object of the current invention is to provide a ranging-type gatedriving device for coal planers, whereby the chain of the coal planer isprevented from slackening in the periphery of the driving wheel bycausing a double-action oil-pressure jack to support the driving wheelin a movable manner, for cases in which a coal planer is used in aconveyor system on the coal face.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a ranging-typedriving device in which driving of the coal planer is performed on themain gate side and single return wheel is provided with the return gateside, and in which the axis of the face conveyor's return wheel isutilized as a supporting axis for said return wheel for the coal planervia a bearing.

The foregoing objects may be attained by the improvement, combinationand operation of respective parts that make up the invention.Embodiments of the invention will be illustrated by the drawingsaccompanied and a detailed description given below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view chieflyof the vicinity of the driving device for ranging-type coal planer withomission of the return wheel side.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view chiefly of the return wheel side of theranging-type coal-planer driving device with omission of the coal-planerdriving side.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the state in which the return wheelon the return side of the driving device for ranging-type coal planerhas been removed from the axis of the face conveyor's return wheel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 1 is a motor, whose shaft (notshown) is interconnected with a speed control mechanism 2 for the coalplaner, and further linked to a shaft 30 provided on the upper part of aranging arm 3, and still further said shaft 30 is linked to acoal-planer driving hole axis 7 of said ranging arm 3 through atransmitting mechanism such as gears. The power generated from motor I,through speedchanging gear 2 and the conductive mechanism in ranging arm3, rotates coal-planer driving wheel 4. Said ranging arm 3 is mounted ina rotatable manner with respect to the casing of speedchanging gear 2.5, which is an oil-pressure jack that applies tension to a coal-planerchain in the direction as shown by arrow, has a cylinder fixed to aframe 6, while one end of a piston rod 31 which advances and retreatsinside said cylinder 2 is pivoted to a link member 32 which is fixed ina stationary manner to the lateral section of ranging arm 3 via a pivotpin 8. Said axis 7 of foregoing coal-planer driving wheel is supportedat the lower part of ranging arm 3. Fixed to one end of said axis is acoal-planer driving wheel 4, and coal planer chain 10 is interlockedwith the outer circumference of said wheel.

Numeral 9 in the drawing indicates the coal planer which is advanced orretreated by the coal planer chain, while being slidably guided by aguide plate 11.

interlocked with coal planer chain 10 is 12, a return wheel, on thesurface of which is built an impeller to enable scattering of coal whenthe impeller 13 comes in contact with massive coal. 15 is a bolt and nutprovided on coal-planer guide plate 11, I6 is a face conveyor, 17 achain guide and 25 a scraper. 26 is a driving axis for the faceconveyor, 27 a chain wheel for the same, 28 a cover plate, 29 a returnframe and 33 a chain for the face conveyor.

The driving device for ranging-type coal planer of the present inventionoperates in the following manner. Usually, as a powerful tractive forceis normally applied to coal planer chain 10 in order to advance orretreat the coal planer, the coal planer chain 10 is slackened due toelogation of said chain and other cause during long-hour operations.When slack is detected in the coal planer chain, oil-pressure jack 5located on the engine frame side is contracted without halting themining operation. By operating the oil-pressure jack 5, ranging arm 3will rotate in the direction of the arrow A, which motion, in turn, willcause coal planer driving wheel 4 to travel in its state interlockingwith coal planer chain 10, thus resulting in providing coal planer chain10 with an adequate amount of tension.

Further, this will enable prevention of breakdown of coal planer chain10, as there will be no possibility of the coal planer chain 10 hittingthe opening section of the chain guide located on the side of returnwheel 12.

Another feature of the invention is that in the case in which coalplaner chain 10 breaks down, great ease of repair work of coal planerchain 10 is assured, merely by stopping the mining operation immediatelyand extending the oil-pressure jack 5.

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of the present invention. 18 is a returnwheel mounted to face conveyor 16. Said return wheels axis 19 which isof a length that extends to the outer side of the frame is built with agroove 20 at a required position for a stop ring.

Said return wheel 18 is driven by the conveyor motor by way of gears(not shown) accommodated in a gear box which utilizes a fluid joint,reduction mechanism and duct. A bearing 21 and coal planer return wheel22 are mounted rotatably on axis 19 of said return wheel, and also astop ring 24 is coupled with the axis 19.

Said return wheel 22 is provided with an end cover 23, whose end surfaceof said end cover 23 may be provided with an impeller 13 as shown inFIG. 2 if necessary.

Although the coal planer return wheel 22 is mounted on the same axis onwhich the face conveyor wheel 18 is mounted, it is capable of rotationindependent of the stopping of face conveyor 18, so that, for example,it may perform rotation independently even when face conveyor wheel 18has stopped and also may rotate either in the same direction in whichthe face conveyor wheel is rotating or in the opposite.

What is claimed is:

l. A ranging-type driving device for coal-planer characterized in thatthe base of an oil-pressure jack is fixed to a frame, a tip of said jackis secured to an axis of a coal-planer driving wheel, and saidcoal-planer driving wheel is rotatably supported on one end of a rangingarm, whereby an adequate tension is given by the operation of saidoil-pressure jack to a chain interlocked conveyor.

I I t

1. A ranging-type driving device for coal-planer characterized in thatthe base of an oil-pressure jack is fixed to a frame, a tip of said jackis secured to an axis of a coal-planer driving wheel, and saidcoal-planer driving wheel is rotatably supported on one end of a rangingarm, whereby an adequate tension is given by the operation of saidoil-pressure jack to a chain interlocked with said axis of thecoal-planer driving wheel.
 2. An idler-type return device forcoal-planer as defined in claim 1, wherein a coal-planer return wheel isrotatably, through baring, coupled with one end of the axis of thereturn wheel on the return gate side of the face conveyor at the coalmining face, whereby said coal-planer return wheel is permitted torotate independent on the rotation of said return wheel of the faceconveyor.